Daniel A. Baker, 90, was called home “in the twinkling of an eye” on Friday, July 29, 2016, four months after his beloved wife, Ruth, was also called home.
Daniel was born on April 12, 1926, in Creston, Iowa, to the late Arthur and Margaret Baker. Dan came to Shawano in 1972 to help his brother, Dick Baker, run the Super Valu Grocery Store. It was there that he saw Ruth Gottschalk shopping in one of the aisles, and he asked who that beautiful lady was. He followed her to the check-out counter and started up a conversation. Shortly after, they started dating and were married on Feb. 10, 1973. They just celebrated 43 years of marriage.
Dan helped Ruth run Gottschalk’s Cleaners. Together they opened up The Laundry Basket and were in the business for over 25 years. Upon retiring from The Laundry Basket, Dan worked at different businesses cleaning, delivering the Shopper’s Guide and delivering The Shawano Leader.
Dan liked to keep busy and kept working until he was 88 years old, at which time, he had to quit because of health problems. Dan was also a World War II veteran and served in the Army.
Dan always had a story to tell and had a great sense of humor. He was a record salesman when he lived in California and personally met Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and many other famous recording artists of the time. Dan enjoyed listening to their music and had many albums that had been personally signed by the recording artists. Dan worked on a dude ranch in Wyoming, owned and operated a bar in Oregon, from which a lot of his stories came. Dan had other life adventures too numerous to mention.
Dan kept up his childhood friendships, keeping in contact with friends that he had made in grade school and high school. They would call him, or Dan would call them, each month, sometimes weekly. He kept all of their letters and correspondences through the years. He was very close with all of his friends.
Dan and Ruth attended the First Baptist Church in Shawano. They both professed their faith in God, got saved and were baptized in the Wolf River. While attending the First Baptist Church, Dan was active with the Awanas.
Dan loved working with children and especially loved the children who came into The Laundry Basket with their parents while they were doing their laundry. He enjoyed seeing the former children that came into The Laundry Basket and had now grown into adults and would stop and talk to Dan when they would see him out somewhere. During his lifetime, he met many wonderful people and friends.
Dan is survived by his stepdaughter, Victoria “Vicki” Druckrey, and his son-in-law, Jeff Druckrey, of Green Bay, and their dog, Sage, who truly loved Dan and couldn’t give him enough kisses when he came to visit. He is further survived by one sister, Wilma, of California, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Dan was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth; his parents; one brother, Dick; and one sister, Lucia.
Dan signed up for the body donor program at the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Wisconsin. The donor program is used for educational purposes. The body donor program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health depends heavily upon donors for the continued high level of instruction available to medical and other health profession students. The school is deeply grateful to those interested in furthering medical education in Wisconsin. Dan felt it honorable to be able to help students further their knowledge of the human body and possibly help find a cure for numerous diseases.
Dan and his family would like to thank Christy Hall, Kristy Blom, Bill Berken, Kevin, Mick, his friend, Sally, from church, and many other friends for going “above and beyond” in helping Dan whenever he needed it and for all of those who came to Maple Lane Nursing Home to visit him. Your visits meant so much to him. Dan would always mention that “since he had gotten sick, he couldn’t believe how many people had been really nice to him.” Dan would also like to thank all of the residents at the Maple Lane Nursing Home that he had “good conversations” with and the friendships that were made there.
Thank you to the nurses and staff at Maple Lane for the loving care you gave Dan while he was there. He couldn’t praise you enough on how well you took care of him and tried to meet his every need.
Private family services will be held at a later date.
It is comforting to know that Dan and Ruth are finally back together, never to be separated again, and enjoying their new residence in Heaven with their Savior, Jesus Christ. Dan, give Mom a big hug for me! Your daughter, Vicki